The invention is a metal conduit connector that joins two opposing sections of a non-metallic conduit that passes through an electrically insulated cathodic half-cell compartment of a hydrogen generator circuit described in Ref. 1 of the cross-references. The joined metal and non-metal conduits carry the flow of electrolyte to a corresponding half-cell compartment of an electrically insulated anode of the said hydrogen generator completing the internal polar ionic path between the cathode and anode separate electrolyte circuits.
The surfaces of the metal conduit connector serve as capacitor plates accepting electron charges of hydroxyl ions formed by the chemical action of active ingredients of a consumable electrode reacting with the water component of the cathode electrolyte. Ionic discharges to the outer surface of the metal conduit connector resulting from these chemical reactions are transferred by conduction through the metal wall to the surfaces of the inner wall of the metal conduit connector where they are discharged to anions flowing in the anode electrolyte circuit completing the internal potential circuit paths of electrical flow between the cathode and anode compartmented systems. Because of its ability to transfer the ionic charge of the cathode electrolyte through the metal conduit connector wall to anions in the anode electrolyte circuit the metal conduit connector is hereinafter termed an ionic capacitor.
Although the invention transfers electrons through its metallic cross-section from one contacting surface to another, and also operates within an electrolyte, it should not be confused with the ordinary electrolytic capacitor or electrolytic rectifier, both of which can only be used with a flow of electricity in one direction. The ionic capacitor presented in the Detailed Description of the Invention which follows does not employ a dielectric membrane, and it can be used for electrical current flowing both directions. Unlike the electrolytic capacitor or electrolytic rectifier, both of which employ metal wire leads for electrical conduction to and from their respective plate surfaces, the ionic capacitor uses the liquid ions of the electrolyte to convey the electron charge from its opposing conductive isolated surfaces between each electrolyte stream. Neither should the invention be considered as functioning as the Leyden jar consisting of a glass jar coated with a tinfoil within and without, each coating acting as individual plate surfaces such that a charge placed on one surface is discharged to the other surface when conductors to each plate are brought together.
Beyond its ability to transfer ionic charge from the cathode electrolyte fluid circuit to the anode electrolyte fluid circuit, the primary objective of the ionic capacitor is to provide a means of separating the gaseous hydrogen liberated within the cathode compartment from the gaseous oxygen liberated within the anode compartment of the hydrogen generator system of Ref. 1 of the cross-references. Separating the two gaseous systems in their respective compartments by use of an ionic capacitor circuit negates the possibility of explosive mixtures being formed that would create an operating hazard. In Ref. 1 of the cross-references, the method of separating the gaseous by products liberated at each respective electrode is only passively achieved by placing them in direct ionic circuit communication. In the present invention electron ionic transport and exchange from each electrode circuit occurs as an intermediate step of electrical conduction across the ionic capacitor wall which carries the charge into the anodic electrolyte stream.
The invention also facilitates the transfer of heat generated in the cathode compartment by the exothermic reaction of the chemically active agents of the consumable electrodes of Ref. 1 and Ref. 2 of the cross-references. In the electrical generating system of Ref. 1 the cathode compartment temperature is controlled by the consumable electrode feed-rate and by water dilution and also by variations of flow of recirculated electrolyte. These earlier methods of temperature control provide corrective macro-responses by acting directly upon the chemical reactions occurring in the cathode compartment and result in large electrodynamic changes in power output. The ionic capacitor acts as a heat exchanger by varying the rate of flow through it thus giving vernier control of gradual temperature changes within the cathode compartment.
Electron charge transfer through the ionic capacitor wall is more efficient at higher operating temperatures and higher electrolyte flow rates and the generated electrical power output more effectively utilized at steady-state electrolyte anion production fluid flow conditions made possible by the vernier temperature control capability of the ionic capacitor.
In the standard fuel cell, such as the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell, hydrogen atoms are cleaved to form protons and electrons, while on the other side of the cell the oxygen molecules are passed through a catalyst splitting them into two oxygen atoms. The protons and oxygen atoms combine to form water together with the net release of spare electrons generating an electric current. In the Second Generation Fuel Cell, which employs an Ionic Capacitor, a consumable electrode having an alkali metal initiator, in this instance sodium, is used to cleave the hydroxyl (OH) bonds of water to produce sodium hydroxide, protons, heat and spare electrons.
2Na+2H2Oxe2x86x922NaOH+2H++heat+2 electrons 
The said spare electrons produced in the cathode compartment create an electrical potential across the Ionic Capacitor wall causing electronic conduction through the wall into the anodic electrolyte circuit stream of lower potential flowing through the Ionic Capacitor causing the hydroxyl ions in the said anodic electrolyte to become charged. The said charged hydroxyl ions are discharged at the anode to produce a water molecule, an oxygen atom, and 2 spare electrons.
OHxe2x88x92+OHxe2x88x92xe2x86x92H2O+1/2O2+2 electrons 
The initiating energy necessary to sever the hydroxyl (OH) bonds of the water molecule is obtained from the chemically reactive alkali metal ingredients of the consumable cathodic electrode. The net release of spare electrons in the reaction is exactly equivalent to the current flow of the electrolytic deposition of the corresponding molecular equivalent weight of the active ingredients of the metals used in the said consumable electrode. If the initiating alkali metal is sodium the electron current flow is 528 amp hours per pound of sodium metal reacted.
The design objectives and unique features of the Ionic Capacitor become apparent when it is seen to operate within a vigorous chemically reacting electrolyte fluid in which exothermic heat is generated and hazardous gaseous by-products are formed and liberated at each respective electrode.
The primary objective of the Ionic Capacitor design is to provide an impermeable metal membrane separating direct contact of the electrolyte and gaseous by-products of the cathodic system from the electrolyte and gaseous by-products of the anodic system.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a means of transferring the higher electrical potential of the chemically dynamic electrolyte system of the cathode compartment to the lower potential of the passive anode electrolyte stream by electrical conductance across the metal wall of the Ionic Capacitor.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a means of compensating for minor fluctuations of temperature in the steady-state operation of chemical feed rates and reactions occurring in the cathode compartment through adjustments of the heat transfer rate across the 8 interfacing metal wall of the Ionic Capacitor by controlling the rate of flow of the cooler anodic electrolyte passing through the said ionic capacitor.